Tag Archives: Mommy Blogger Dubai
SensAsia Urban Spa | Eve Lom Cleansing Facial | A little taste of Thailand in Dubai
<a href=”http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12883239/?claim=v735z5wkgcr”>Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
If you are in Dubai this July and August, and you have been reading our travel features in Phuket, you might want to treat yourself to a little taste of Thailand at one of SOTP’s favourite spa in Dubai, SensAsia Urban Spa.
What we tried: The Eve Lom Ultimate Cleanse
Time: 1 hour
Price: AED540
Therapist: Anna
Thoughts: I haven’t let anyone give me a facial in Dubai in 5 years after a horrific experience at a spa (we won’t name and shame them) that I haven’t been back since. I normally just have some botox at my husband’s clinic but since I am still breast feeding so that isn’t an option right now and my skin has been looking more tired and dull after 4 children. Looking for an alternative I decided to give my trusted spa a try. I think the quality of treatments at SensAsia Urban Spa are great, built on a strong foundation as the owner, Salina Handa, grew up in Thailand, and she has such a lovely and simple philosophy to her brand. The treatment was a lovely cleanse using Eve Lom products and a deep clean with 2 masks applied to the face. Anna was light handed and the treatment was relaxing.
Results: My dull skin after all the hormonal changes from having a baby was brighter and cleaner. It wasn’t a glow as such but my skin definitely looked better – I even got my plastic surgeon husband to judge it and it had his approval! Believe it or not, but I will be back.
Top tip: Ask for Anna – she is a really great and experienced therapist for facials.
Special offers: If a facial is not for you, you can treat yourself to a massage at 40% off the regular prices. A 60-minute Balinese massage normally priced at AED399 is only AED279 until 31 August 2015. These prices only apply to certain signature massages that are booked between 10am and 4pm.
SensAsia Urban Spa has four locations, The Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Golf Club, Souk Al Manzil Downtown Dubai, The Village. For more information about the spa and locations go to www.sensasiaspas.com
Travel | Phuket, Thailand | Indigo Pearl Luxury Resort |Review 3 of 3 | Spa & F&B
Photo credit: Seahsellsonthepalm
Spa
We tried the couples massage at the spa – you can’t ever go wrong with a Thai therapist. The Thais and Indonesians are born with an inherent sense of how to perform some of the best massages. What is unique about this spa is their Cocoon spa which you will need to experience for yourself. They are these beautiful weaved cocoons set in the jungle that make you feel that either a unique tribe has taken over. We had two lovely therapists with strong hands, and the traditional massage ending with a good body stretch. Comparing with prices in Dubai, they are much more affordable AED350 at the hotel.
Food & Beverage
There are 7 food & beverages outlets at the hotel offering a wide variety of food from local Thai to pasta to fine dining:
Room Service
The menu is rather limited, and naturally the local food was much better than the pasta – so choose the Pad Thai on any menu if in doubt as it was very good. The pasta was probably a little over cooked according to my husband’s taste. The children tried the lamb and grouper fish, and they were happy with the lamb but the grouper fish was not the best.
Rivet Fine Dining
We had an adult only dinner at Rivet, which was a dark eccentric room that would have been a good bar or restaurant in London or New York with great fine dining style food. We tried a set menu of tuna tartare, truffle risotto and a main course of grouper fish. Very nicely presented with a good selection of wines, and after Dubai prices, most of the wines seem more affordable.
Black Ginger – highly recommended
This is Indigo Pearl’s signature restaurant, and probably the first hint that you are in Thailand – the restaurant looks very traditional with the continued running of Indigo Pearl’s dark and metallic theme. The whole set up is stunning as your enter the lake through a corridor of blue lit steel shields. Fire torches light the path, and for the children this was so exciting – it really felt like a mini-adventure. The only way to get to the restaurant is on a movable platform on the water that you are pulled over by an old pulley system onto a old traditional looking Thai house set on the lake. Every Saturday night, this restaurant serves a traditional Thai buffet that is exquisite and uncompromising to western pallets so you really get a feel of foods eaten by the Thai people from a wide range of curries to desserts and traditional street food.
Children’s Menu
The children’s menu could have been a little more varied, and I think children should be offered more food that hasn’t been fried like steam fish, rice and soup or maybe organic chicken. The hotel was subjected to my family’s hardcore food tasting – the pizza was a bit disappointing as the base of the pizza had more of a biscuit consistency. We would love to see a wood oven pizza station which is easy to do, and the pizzas will taste even better.
Outside the hotel
We love this hotel because there is the option of walking out of the hotel into the local village on the beach where there are several outlets mainly catering to the hardcore Kite Surfing crowd. Outside the main gates, our family went often to The Sands, a reasonably priced restaurant that served Phuket and Canadian lobster, or Pad Thai, and the children loved the menu that was named after the different Disney creatures.
Hotel & Accommodation Review 1/3 – Read more ….
Indigo Pearl Facilities for Families Review 2/3 – Read more….
Indigo Pearl is a luxury resort located 10 minutes away from Phuket International Airport. For more information go to www.indigo-pearl.com
Travel | Phuket, Thailand | Indigo Pearl Luxury Resort |Review 1 of 3 | Hotel & Accommodation
Photo credit: Seashellsonthepalm
Travel
It’s easy with Emirates going direct to resort towns like Phuket and Bali. We are now spoilt for choice with flights from Dubai. This summer we head to Phuket to try Indigo Pearl Luxury Resort, which is an easy 6.5 hours from Dubai via Emirates Airlines. There are easy day flights landing in Phuket at 8pm, which is just perfect for the children to go to bed after a quick room service.
The hotel can arrange transfers from the Phuket International Airport to the hotel – a mini van if need be, and we were surprised that the journey is only 10 minutes. We were concerned with hotel being so close to the airport that we would hear the planes but it was very quiet and peaceful.
Weather
We travelled during rainy season but in Phuket this is not really a problem. The dry season runs from December to March but we had sunny days during out stay here. Our kids loved the rain – a novelty for Dubai kids.
Hotel
The hotel is privately owned by the Na-Ranong family who accumulated their wealth and success on their ancestors’ investment in tin mine known as ‘black gold’ back in 1932, which in turn created a flourishing Phuket economy, but today there are only three tin mining sites still active in Phuket. The current owner and Managing Director, Wichit Na-Ranong, used the hotel to attribute memories to his family’s history in the tin mine industry as part of the inspiration to create hotel’s unique designs.
The industrial chic boutique resort set within a jungle landscape was designed by the American architect designer Bill Bensley. The Lobby with its open air unique design is welcoming with its metallic blue tones overlooking the open air Tin Mine breakfast room with cutlery designed to represent wrenches that can be bought as a memory of your stay.
Bensley creates each suite to remind us of the family’s history in the tin mining industry with metallic features at every turn and large compounds of concrete and breeze blocks. In contrast to all the metal, are soft and extremely comfortable beds, and there is little or no reminder that you are in Thailand. The hotel was last renovated in 2006 but the upper tier rooms are still well kept, and the gorgeous pool villas were only built in 2012.
SOTP experienced two room categories…
#1 night in the D-Buk suite. This is their lower & affordable category of suites and during off-peak you might only pay AED900 ++ night. We advise you to take rooms which are not on the ground floor, and if you are travelling with young children note that the lower tiers do not have interconnecting rooms.
#4 nights in the Pearl Shell Suite – there are 7 of these stunning rooms, and they can be arranged in a 2 or 3 bedroom formation. They must be booked in advanced because even in low season they are mostly sold out.
SOTP Recommends: Take the top three luxury tiers: The Pearl Shell Suite, Private Pool Villas or Coqoon Spa Suite. We also recommend booking with the Lightfoot Travel Team in Dubai who have great relations with this hotel for seamless travel.
Indigo Pearl Facilities for families Review 2/3 – Read more…
Indigo Pearl Food & Beverage for families Review 3/3 – Read more…